A reusable catalyst for the synthesis of esters
A chemist from RUDN University has developed a tin silicate catalyst for the production of esters—flavourings, plasticisers, and biofuel components. Unlike existing catalysts, the new material can be made active again and reused. The results are published in the journal Microporous and Mesoporous Materials.
Catalysts are not consumed in the process of chemical reactions, yet it is difficult in some cases to separate them from the synthesis waste and reuse them. For instance, inorganic acid catalysts are used for esterification, i.e. to obtain esters from organic acids and alcohol. In this case, the final product of reaction must be purified and the waste disposed of, along with the catalysts, since it is more expensive to separate them for reuse than to acquire new ones.
One promising solution is solid catalysts based on tin ions deposited on a porous support substrate. Its "active centres" are located on its surface: ions on which a chemical transformation occurs, for example, the formation of ether. However, tin ions are "washed out" during the use of such materials, and they lose their activity. Moreover, a lot of useless tin oxide is formed during the manufacture of the catalyst, in addition to ions.
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